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Natural Selection
Natural Selection is the premiere episode of Orphan Black. It aired on March 30, 2013 on BBC America at 9/8c. Sarah, a streetwise hustler on the run from a lifetime of bad decisions, witnesses the suicide of a stranger who looks just like her. Sarah assumes her identity hoping that cleaning out the dead woman's bank account will solve all of her problems. Instead, the street smart chameleon is thrust headlong into a kaleidoscopic mystery. After taking on the new identity, Sarah quickly finds herself caught in the middle of a deadly conspiracy and must race to find answers. Synopsis Sarah Manning is asleep on the train when she gets startled and gets off at her destination. As soon as she exits the train, she goes to a payphone where she calls Mrs. S, her foster mother, who is also taking care of her own daughter, Kira. Sarah asks to see Kira but Mrs. S refuses to let Sarah speak to her. Moments later, a distressed woman is seen pacing on the platform. The woman then takes off her jacket and heels, almost ritually. When she turns around, she and Sarah see each other and realize that they look identical. While Sarah is shocked, the woman calmly walks towards the tracks and jumps in front of an oncoming train. Getting over her initial shock, Sarah runs for and grabs the woman's bag, caught on camera. Sarah then meets with her foster brother Felix at a local bar. The two talk over a beer. Sarah then gives Felix her boyfriend's bag of cocaine for him to sell, before Sarah tells Felix about Beth, the woman who killed herself at the train station that looked like her. The two then conclude that they may be twins, separated at birth. Sarah, hoping to gain more from her discovery, then makes her way to Beth's apartment. Looking around, she learns of Beth's boyfriend, Paul, who is out of town, and of a large amount of money Beth has in her bank account. Just then, a report of Beth's death is shown on the news, although the body was unidentified. Sarah then has an idea and decides to impersonate Beth to get ahold of her money. On the phone with Felix, Sarah asks him to go to the morgue and identify the cop's body as her, and Sarah dyes her hair and studies Beth's signature, and, with home videos she finds, her mannerisms and American accent. At Felix's studio, Felix manages to sell Sarah's cocaine to a man he had just had sex with when they hear a loud banging at the door. Felix answers the door and Vic charges, threatening Felix, looking for Sarah and his stolen cocaine. Sarah, pretending to be Beth, goes to visit Beth's bank manager Steven Riggs to withdraw all the money from her bank account, rushing him to let her withdraw the money within the next 24 hours. Initially skeptical, Sarah convinces Steven when she offers to sponsor his next charity run. Meanwhile, Felix identifies Beth's body as "Sarah" at the morgue. Sarah is then spotted by Art who then pulls her into his cruiser, recognizing his name from Beth's phone. During their confrontation about a trial, Sarah realizes that Beth is a cop, and Art is convinced that she is Beth. Vic drives them to the police station for her hearing. Not knowing what it was for, Sarah panics and asks to go to the restroom first. There, she calls Felix to call of their con; which was unfortunately too late as Felix has already done his part. In a desperate attempt to get away, Sarah drinks the hand soap. At the boardroom, Sarah finds out that the hearing was for a civilian shooting case against Beth. Before she could speak, Sarah throws up, and the hearing is thus postponed. Art accompanies Sarah to her doctor, whom Sarah leads to believe that she is suffering from psychological breaks. Vic pays Felix another visit. This time, Felix tells Vic that Sarah is dead and takes him to the morgue to see Beth's body. Vic then cries over the body, while Felix blithely pats him while exchanging flirty looks with the morgue attendant. Back at Beth's apartment, Paul unexpectedly comes back early from his "trip", surprising Sarah. Sarah awkwardly tries to converse with him, but Paul notices small and uncharacteristic changes in "Beth". Suspicious, Paul starts asking her questions. Not knowing what to say, Sarah kisses him. Things get heated and they end up sleeping with each other. The next morning, Vic again visits Felix and says he wants to hold a wake for Sarah. Meanwhile, Sarah gets up and leaves for the bank, with Paul still suspicious and Art tailing her. At the bank, Steven gives her the $75,000. Sarah then happily heads over to Felix's studio. Art then opens Beth's trunk and finds the stack of money. Thinking she will run from her responsibilities, Art takes the money. Sarah is furious that Felix agreed to hosting a funeral for her, which Felix paid for with the cash he got from Vic's cocaine. The "funeral" is attended by few people. Vic gives a speech mourning her death, while Sarah and Felix laugh about the situation over the phone. To her woe, Mrs. S arrives with Kira. Not wanting her daughter to think she's dead, Sarah asks Felix to send them away. Sarah heads back to Beth's car. Another look-alike, a sick German woman named Katja Obinger pops up from the back seat and begs "Beth" to let her see the scientist that she apparently told her about. Katja realizes that the person in front of her has no idea what she is talking about and, speaking to her in code, promptly discovers that she is not Beth. Seconds later, a bullet shoots through the windshield of the car and pierces through Katja's head. The shooter keeps firing as Sarah starts her car and rushes off. As Sarah drives away, Katja's pink phone, which resembles Beth's, starts to ring. Beth's phone, which has constantly been ringing since she got it, then begins ringing again. Frantic, Sarah finally picks it up. Credits Main Cast * Tatiana Maslany as Sarah Manning/Beth Childs/Katja Obinger * Dylan Bruce as Paul Dierden * Jordan Gavaris as Felix Dawkins * Kevin Hanchard as Arthur Bell * Michael Mando as Vic * Maria Doyle Kennedy as Mrs. S Recurring Cast * Skyler Wexler as Kira * Inga Cadranel as Detective Angela Deangelis * Ron Lea as Lieutenant Gavin Hardcastle * Nicholas Rose as Colin Other Cast * Elizabeth Saunders as Dr. Anita Bowers * Marqus Bobesich as Rockabilly Bob * Jamila Fleming as Sherry * Jean-Michel Le Gal as Steven Riggs * Diana Salvatore as Bobby * Dom Fiore as Police Captain * Justin Skye Conley as Exec * Ivan Sherry as Internal Affairs Suit * Janette Luu as Reporter * Denika Ellis-Dawson as Little Girl * Joanne Reece as Beth's Lawyer * Audra Yulanda Gray as Woman (as Audra Yolanda Gray) * Eileen Li as Receptionist Notes * Special billing was given to Maria Doyle Kennedy for this episode. Navigation Category:Season 1 Episodes